A Birthday Wish
by Disciple of Ember
Summary: With Mami's birthday coming up, Madoka has been given the difficult task of finding her the ideal present. Slight Mami x Madoka


**A friend of mine recently challenged me to make a birthday themed fic about Madoka Magica without writing anything horribly depressing. If anyone is wondering why none of the main cast are dead and/or stretched into ethereal space dust, it's because this is just for fluff and is not meant to be taken too seriously. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Madoka Magica or any of the characters**

* * *

Madoka Kaname was no stranger to difficult choices. She'd faced down both terror and tragedy to make a choice that tore the very fabric of reality apart all to save those who could no longer save themselves. She'd stood against the legendary Walpurgisnacht, put an end to the witches, and freed the tormented souls who'd been transformed into such wicked creatures.

Now she was faced with another choice. While perhaps not as earth-shatteringly important as choosing to become a magical girl, that didn't mean it was any easier to make. Held in between her trembling thumb and forefinger was a tiny slip of paper that detailed the nearly impossible task set before her.

"Well? Which one did you get?" Sayaka asked anxiously, nudging her friend in the side. "Let me see!"

Before Madoka could even think of formulating a protest, the blue haired girl deftly snatched the paper away from her unsteady grasp.

"Aw man, you get to pick out Mami's present? Lucky. I had some great ideas for that."

She'd known as soon as they'd decided on picking roles out of a hat that she'd come to regret it. Mami Tomoe's birthday was coming up. Having been the first person to introduce Madoka to the world that existed just out of sight of the ordinary, the gun slinging blonde had been a role model as well as a teacher for both her and Sayaka. Even now, though she was far more powerful than Mami could honestly hope to be, she still looked up to the girl.

When they'd learned that Mami's birthday was only about a week away, they'd insisted on throwing a party for her. They being Madoka and Sayaka. Homura had been stoically apathetic to the whole thing, only agreeing to it because it was what Madoka wanted, and Kyoko had to be bribed with a fresh batch of cookies.

Mami had tried to talk them out of it, saying that it wasn't that big a deal and that she was used to celebrating it in her own quiet way. Naturally they were having none of it. Unable to talk them out of the party, she'd made sure that they agreed to only have something small. Just the five of them. She didn't want to go through the trouble of throwing some lavish congregation.

The group of girls had headed to the mall after that, and had begun the task of assigning jobs for themselves. When it became clear that nobody could agree on just how to go about setting things up, they'd broken the whole process into four parts, wrote those parts down on slips of paper, and picked those out of a hat that Kyoko repeatedly insisted wasn't stolen.

"If you have ideas, you can take my role." Madoka offered sheepishly, hoping for some way to get out of the task. "I don't mind. Really, you'll probably find something better than I could anyway."

Sayaka rolled her eyes, simultaneously placing the slip back in her hands and crushing her hopes of escape.

"That's against the rules." She stated. "We all agreed that we'd pick roles for her party randomly. Besides, picking out the present is the best part! It's the most important role after all."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Madoka mumbled, speaking too softly to be heard. She was still looking for possible avenues of escape when a frustrated yell interrupted her thoughts.

"No fair!" Kyoko shouted, eyes darting back and forth between Homura's paper and her own. "How come _you_ get to be in charge of the cake!? You can't be trusted with something like that! That should be my job!"

"I think I can do a far better job than you can." The raven haired girl shot back, her expressionless face giving nothing away. "After all, I won't be tempted to eat it before showing up."

Kyoko's eye started twitching as she unconsciously crushed her slip of paper in a tight fist. Sayaka took that as the signal to step in before someone ended up killing someone.

"Hey, we all agreed on picking out of the hat to avoid something like this didn't we?" She asked, stepping hesitantly between the two magical powerhouses. "What did you get Kyoko? I'm sure it can't be that bad. Here, let me take a look."

Gently prying the tortured note from her grasp, Sayaka did a quick scan of the writing scrawled on its surface.

"Decorations! That can be a good one." She offered encouragingly. "You get to set the atmosphere of the whole thing. Doesn't that sound fun?"

The redhead tried to ignore her at first, glaring over her shoulder at Homura. That didn't last long as she kept stepping between them and blocking her view.

"Fine!" Kyoko huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "But I swear, If she ruins the cake she'll have to use her fancy time magic to go back to an age before I shoved my spear up her a-"

"I think that's enough!' Sayaka stated quickly, doing what she could to diffuse the situation. "Here, I'm in charge of music. I know the place to get some great CDs and its right near a store where you can find some awesome decorations. Come on, I'll take you there."

With that, she grabbed the other girl's hand and began forcibly dragging her away from the conflict. No easy task considering that Kyoko was a fair bit stronger than she was.

Now with just the two of them remaining, Madoka turned her disheartened gaze back to the paper in her hand. She could probably convince Homura to trade if she really tried, but Sayaka had already seen that she was in charge of finding a present and she didn't want to make her disappointed. Still, maybe she could at least put it off for a bit.

"Hey Homura, do you need-"

"That won't be necessary." She said, cutting Madoka off midsentence. "I know where the bakery is. You should probably start searching for a gift as well seeing as we've only got an hour or two before this place closes. Thank you for the offer though."

Homura turned and walked away leaving a very conflicted Madoka behind. The girl made to go after her friend only to stop after having taken a couple of steps. Sighing in defeat, she started heading off her own way. Homura was right. It was already late in the day and the mall wouldn't be open forever.

Still, it shouldn't take too long to find a gift right?

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Madoka was still just as stumped as she had been when she first set out. She'd wandered from store to store, meandering her way through the crowds of shoppers only to be disappointed when she couldn't find anything fitting. She knew that Mami probably would be happy with anything she just grabbed something off the shelf, but she could never let herself do that. Mami deserved better.

As she unconsciously walked with the river of humanity that flowed through the mall, she began thinking back on what she knew about her mentor in an attempt to make her task simpler. The only problem was that she didn't know as much as she would have liked.

Mami didn't speak much about herself or her past; usually choosing to listen to what the others spoke about instead. She'd always been the one offering support for both Sayaka and Madoka whenever they had a problem, either giving advice on what she thought they could do or just lending an ear when they needed to talk. Sadly, that didn't help in figuring out what she liked or wanted.

Madoka's wandering eventually brought her to a modest looking pet shop. More out of curiosity than anything, she stepped inside to see if they might have something. It was fairly empty at this point, as most of the less mainstream shops were during this late hour, but there were still a couple of shoppers inside.

A group of girls were fawning over a pair of hamsters that were trying to run in opposite directions on a spinning wheel while a young boy stood off to one side, seemingly having a staring contest with a turtle. The man at the register looked up, giving a polite greeting as she entered. Madoka smiled and greeted him back, only half paying attention.

As her eyes roamed the interior of the store, she found herself walking over to a window display that had a puppy inside. Peering over the edge, she was greeted by a pair of tiny eyes, a lolling tongue, and a tail that wagged so rapidly it looked like it could power a motorboat.

Feeling a smile working its way onto her face, she reached inside and started scratching the puppy behind its ears with one hand. The creature let out a delighted yelp, turning on the fingers and licking them frantically as though they were made of ice-cream.

Maybe a puppy would be a good present. When she'd first met Mami the gun slinger had warned her that becoming a magical girl wasn't all fun and games. She'd been alone for a very long time and the isolation had taken a heavy toll on her. She'd been a lot happier ever since she'd found the others, but Madoka still felt sad every time she pictured her mentor alone in that apartment with nobody to keep her company. The unconditional love of a pet could work wonders.

Then again, maybe it wasn't such a great idea. Dogs were a lot of work, and being in such a dangerous line of work meant that Mami didn't have a lot of free time to dedicate towards taking care of one. Not to mention the costs. If a puppy was even half as expensive as she thought it was, it would be a major drain on the blonde's finances. The last thing Madoka wanted was for her gift to be a burden.

And, if she was entirely honest with herself, there was another reason she didn't want to buy a dog for Mami. It was childish, silly, and even a bit selfish, but she didn't like the idea of competing with a fluffy ball of energy for the older girl's affections. Some part of her liked the attention Mami gave both her and Sayaka and didn't want to have to share that.

Realizing that she was once again back to square one, Madoka breathed out a light sigh. The puppy soon lost interest in her limp digits and began furiously sniffing a corner of the enclosure instead.

With no small amount of regret, she left the pet shop empty handed. A quick look at one of the clocks that dotted the mall told her that it was only half an hour until closing time. She only had thirty minutes left before she'd be forced to leave.

A groan pushed up through her throat at the thought of facing the others with nothing to show for her search. She picked up her pace, speedily moving from store window to store window, never seeing anything that could live up to the standard she'd set in her mind.

Maybe she'd be able to come back another day. She still had a little while before Mami's actual birthday, so there might be time for another trip. The idea was a small comfort, though it didn't help all that much. Even if she came back she'd still be stuck with the problem of having absolutely no idea what she was searching for.

Eventually Madoka's footsteps slowed and ground to a halt. Ten minutes until closing. Some of the less popular shops were already shutting their doors. Feeling the crushing weight of defeat descend on her, she turned and started to head back with her head down. No doubt Kyoko, Sayaka, and Homura were all waiting outside the entrance wondering just what was taking her so long.

That was when she heard it. A faint sound, echoing throughout the emptying halls like a siren's song. Madoka instinctively turned towards the source. It was subtle, melodic, and entrancing. She was moving without even realizing what was happening. She followed the sound through the twisting halls until the source was directly across from her.

Staring through the pane of glass that separated her from the source of the sound, Madoka knew for certain that this was it. Her decision had been made.

* * *

"Thank you for all this, but don't you think it's a bit much?" Mami asked, gazing around her newly furnished apartment.

Kyoko had apparently taken the role of decorating the place very seriously. An arrangement of aggressive red, orange, and yellow streamers had been put up in an intricate pattern that stretched across every wall. The flowing pattern had been pieced together in such a way as to make it very difficult to see where it began or ended.

Filling the air in the background was the soft sound of the violin symphony that Sayaka had picked out. The gentle music helped to tame the almost wild décor, giving a kind of peaceful energy to the setting. All in all, the two complimented each other very well.

"Maybe, but it is a special occasion after all." Sayaka answered. "You only get one birthday a year, so why not go a little overboard?"

She, Madoka, and Mami were all seated around the small glass table that sat in the middle of her apartment. Since the piece of furniture wasn't large enough to fit all five of the girls, Kyoko had taken the opportunity to lounge on the couch while Homura was brought a cushion over to sit a short distance away.

"I guess you're right." Mami said, giving a warm smile and taking a sip of the tea she was holding. "I suppose I'm just used to celebrating it alone is all."

"But you're not alone anymore!" Madoka blurted out, earning her a few odd looks. Realizing what she'd just said, she hastily tried to clarify her thought. "Eh… What I meant is that we're all here for you now so you don't need to be alone."

Her mentor sat silent for a moment before she smiled again.

"That's right." She agreed. "I have all of you now, and I'm very grateful for that."

Kyoko let out a low groan from her position on the couch.

"Hey, before this all gets mushy and awkward how about we bring out the important stuff? You know, like the cake?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." Sayaka said. "Homura, why don't you show us all what type of cake you picked out? You were gone for almost as long as Madoka."

The raven haired girl nodded, getting to her feet. She waved Mami back down when the girl started getting up to help her.

"You just stay there." She said. "I can manage this on my own."

She made her way over to the door where she'd left most of her belongings. The others all watched her, eager to see the kind of dessert that had caught her eye. Picking a moderately sized box out from under her coat, she calmly strode back and placed it on the table.

"I had them make a special image out of the icing." She remarked. "I hope you find it as fitting as I do."

"Oh, Homura you didn't have to go through the trouble of… of… oh…"

Madoka's breath caught in her throat as the top of the box was opened, revealing the cake inside. It was a soft yellow, covered with pale white icing across the top and much of the sides. By itself it looked like a perfectly harmless and delicious item, but the picture on top made it anything but.

Drawn in chocolate icing was a grinning face with a triangular nose and a mouth full of pointed teeth. It was a surprisingly good representation of something she'd hoped never to see again.

"…That isn't funny…" Mami stated, carefully maintaining her cool as she glowered down at the traitorous offering.

"Of course it is." Homura said, speaking as though she were reciting well known facts. "Just not for you. Maybe you'll learn to listen to me in the future."

An uncomfortable silence descended as the two girls eyed each other with mirrored expression of stubborn tension. Kyoko was the one to break the standoff.

"Am I missing something here?" She asked in confusion, sitting up properly. "What's with the freaky face and why does Mami seem to hate it?"

When it became clear that nobody was going to answer her question any time soon, Sayaka cautiously moved to her side. Sitting down next to Kyoko, she began whispering in her ear low enough that nobody else could hear. She spoke softly for fear of triggering the touchy subject.

Kyoko, being the paragon of sympathy and understanding that she was, had a slightly different approach.

She sat silently taking in the information for a moment. After a brief pause she began making strange choking noises, causing the others to all turn towards her.

"Kyoko?" Madoka ventured. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

Unable to hold it in anymore, the redhead doubled over and burst out laughing. She held her sides as Sayaka froze, unsure of what to do.

"Are you kidding me?" Kyoko asked, gasping for breath. "That's hilarious! Don't give me that look Mami, just think of it as your chance to bite back."

Amused by her own joke, she relapsed into another fit of laughter while the others slowly regained their composure. Once her mirth had died down to a few stray giggles, Mami faced Homura with a forced smile.

"Thank you for being so… thoughtful…" She said with false sincerity. "I'll certainly remember your generosity when your birthday comes around."

Rather than risk any further mishaps over the cake, Sayaka took that opportunity to get things moving along again.

"Hey Madoka, maybe now would be a good time to bring out your present." She urged, taking her seat at the table once more.

The pinkette nearly jumped at the mention of her name.

"Wha- Oh! Right!" She said, shaking herself out of her daze. "Wait right there, I'll be back in a second." As she stood to retrieve her present, she paused and turned to her friend.

"Um. Sayaka? Would you mind turning off the music for a moment?"

The blue haired girl raised an eyebrow at the odd request, but didn't protest. As Madoka brought her present over, she turned the recording off and the apartment took on an expectant air.

Madoka placed a carefully wrapped parcel on the glass table next to the cake. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face self-consciously, she pushed it towards Mami.

"Go ahead." She urged, looking decidedly nervous. "It took a while, but I managed to find something I thought was perfect. I hope you like it."

Now thoroughly curious, Mami carefully pulled apart the decorative paper to reveal what was inside. A couple of appreciative noises sounded from around the room as the ornate designs of an intricate looking box came into view. Once it was out of the wrapping, she examined it appraisingly.

"It's so detailed." She said, turning it lightly in her hands. "Where did you find it?"

"Um… That's not all." Madoka said. "Open it."

Placing the box down on the table, Mami pressed down on the latch that held it closed. The top popped up revealing a tiny plastic dancer inside. After it had fully opened, the song began to play.

The sound of a piano's tinkling refrain ushered forth from the device, washing over them like a gentle breeze. It was a quiet melody, almost like a lullaby, that held a mixture of sadness and hope that they were all very familiar with. The music flowed as the dancer began to turn in place, mimicking the slow elegance of the real thing. The bittersweet tune continued on for an indiscernible amount of time as the five girls sat entranced. Once it ended, the plastic miniature slowed to a halt and the box clicked closed automatically.

Mami looked down at the music box with an unblinking gaze, her mouth opened ever so slightly. She didn't budge or even seem to register that the song had finished.

"Mami?" Madoka asked, a lance of trepidation entering her heart. What if she didn't like it? It had been a stupid idea. After all the things that her mentor had been through, she should have known better than to pick something so depressing.

Much to her horror, Mami blinked several times as tears started to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! Please don't cry!" Madoka pleaded. "I just thought that… I mean… It sounded so graceful that it made me think of the way you fight and… I'm sorry Mami, please don't be sad! I can take it back and get you something else!"

Her words came to a halt as she felt a pair of hands take her own. Before she could register what was happening, Mami's lips pressed against her cheek in a soft kiss. The feather-light pressure sent waves of electricity through her system and rendered her unable to so much as form a coherent thought.

As Mami pulled away, Madoka got a full view of her expression. She was smiling despite the tears that threatened to fall.

"It's beautiful." She said. "I love it. I really do. Thank you Madoka."

"Oh…" While not the smoothest of answers, it was the only sound the younger girl could make. She could feel her face turning bright red and was growing increasingly aware of the fact that they were still holding hands.

The sound of someone coughing into their hand broke the moment.

"Yeah… Happy birthday and all Mami." Kyoko said, rubbing the back of her head. "But seriously, how about we get started on that cake? I'm starving over here."


End file.
